Return to the Planet
by Walks-the-Umbra
Summary: What happened after Sephiroth was run through by Cloud's blade.


It might be the corniest thing I've ever written, but I always did wonder if Sephiroth would end up like all others when they die. So I created the _real_ ending of the game.

## Final Fantasy 7 - Return to the Planet

The shock of Cloud Strife winning the battle was even worse than the pain of the man's sword as it sliced at him over and over again. Sephiroth swayed a bit after the blows had stopped, trying to summon enough strength to kill Cloud before he himself died. But it was too late. He felt the blood run warm down his face, and it was only then that the truth of the situation hit him. He had lost the final battle. 

He felt himself fade. It was an odd feeling, as if parts of him were slowly growing numb and disappearing from existence. Looking down at himself, he saw a ray of light burst from his chest, then another, and another. He was going. Then he did the strangest thing. He looked at Cloud with almost admiration and respect in his eyes. The boy was finally living up to the false memories that had been planted in his head from the very beginning. 

More light radiated from his body, and he felt himself being swept into it. To Cloud's eyes, Sephiroth was fading into the strange light and vanishing forever, but to Sephiroth, it was so much more than that. 

He knew instantly when he died, but his thoughts were still clear, as if nothing at all had happened. He was still surrounded by the light that had come from him, but now it had changed to a very pale green. He felt himself moving down a long tunnel, but no sights around him changed. Was this what it was like to die? he thought, as if anyone could really answer that question for him

_Something_ appeared in front of him, but it had no form, no color, no feeling of life or death that he had come to know so well throughout his entire existence. It just was. For the first time in his life, Sephiroth felt scared, and looked it. What was going to happen now? In life, he could get past anything with his strength and his Masamune blade. Almost anything, anyway. But here, he knew strength and skill were nothing. 

He heard a voice in his head, whose presence could be described exactly the thing in front of him. The voice had no sound or any specific source, but he could understand what it was conveying to him perfectly. It was almost judging him, looking through his memories and deciding what to do with him now that he was here. It was telling him not to be afraid, which was no easy task for the silver-haired warrior.

In his mind he recalled all he had done, whether it was under the influence of Jenova or not. He'd burned a whole town for no reason, he'd nearly destroyed the whole Planet in insanity, he killed countless, whether he knew them or not, including the last remaining Cetra. He could never be forgiven for those acts. 

The form before him seemed to change, and to take on a shape; the shape of a young woman. He soon recognized it as Aerith, the Cetra he had murdered in cold blood. He recoiled in a combination of fear and shame.

She smiled softly at him. "Do not be afraid," she said, for the first time out loud, with actual words and a voice, not just a feeling.

He shook his head. "Are you here to punish me? To torture me for what I did to you?"

Aerith shook her head right back at him. "I'm am not here to punish you. I'm here to help you. What you saw before you a moment ago was the essence of the Planet." Sephiroth looked rather confused, but Aerith didn't stop to explain what she'd just said. I was just called here because you knew me in life, and you would not fear me."

"What do you want with me? What am I supposed to do?" Sephiroth asked, completely unsure of what was going to happen.

"It is up to you. You have a great choice to make now." 

Sephiroth was even more confused. "What choice is that?"

"Your choice is this," she stated simply. "You can either become a spirit, wandering on the Planet's surface, like the Gi. Do you know of the Gi tribe?"

Sephiroth nodded. Who hadn't heard the story of the Gi spirits and how they couldn't return the planet because of their actions while living.

"You can become like them if you wish," said Aerith. "A nameless spirit just floating around for nothing."

"Or? What is my other choice?" Sephiroth hoped the other choice wasn't any worse than an eternity of existing for no purpose.

"Or you can return to the planet."

Those words shocked Sephiroth. After all he'd done...? "Why? Why should I be allowed after what I did to the Planet?"

Aerith smiled again just as softly. "I'm going to be honest here, and you can't deny a single thing. You were confused. A lost little child that was never loved or cared for by anyone. What you did could not be helped, and no matter what you say, you are still a child inside. You are being allowed to return because you can be healed. Perhaps you could be reborn as someone that would save the Planet if it were ever in danger again. The choice is yours." Aerith finished.

Sephiroth thought on that for a moment. He would never admit to anyone that he was confused on more than the current events, though if anyone could read the jumbled thoughts in his head at that moment, they would know otherwise. He certainly didn't want to be a pointless spirit like one of the Gi forever. That left him only one other choice. 

Aerith seemed to sense it, and she held out her hand. Sephiroth slowly took it. The light surrounded them both once more, and Sephiroth felt he had made the right choice. With help from the Planet, he could be healed. 


End file.
